Outerwear garments that can be converted for other uses are known in the art. For example, some coats include removable linings to permit use in different temperature conditions. Maternity coats for use by women before, during and after pregnancy are also known. Maternity coats have also been designed for use during pregnancy and afterwards, to cover both baby and mother, father, or other wearer of the coat. The conventional maternity coats, however, do not provide the flexibility and ease of transitioning from a coat for use during pregnancy to a coat for use by both mother, or other wearer, and baby. One known coat has an extra zip-in panel to be worn both during pregnancy and with baby, i.e., a one panel coat. The one panel coat was designed to function as a maternity coat during pregnancy and, secondly, as a coat for use after pregnancy by both mother or other wearer and baby. A drawback of known one panel coat designs is the coat provides too much fabric at the top, near the bust and neck during pregnancy. This excess of fabric was very cumbersome to the wearer and made the coat less functional as a maternity coat. Further, it was also difficult for the wearer to stay warm using the one panel coat since the neck area was more exposed.
Another drawback of the single panel coat is that it did not successfully accommodate the baby in utero or after birth. The reason for this is that the bottom of the known panel was typically too narrow, not allowing enough room on the lower half for the baby as it grows larger in utero. In addition, the excess fabric at the top of the coat was open to accommodate the baby, but since the same piece of fabric had to be used by the mother during pregnancy, it could not be shaped to accommodate the true needs of the baby. Another drawback of known one panel and other known convertible maternity coats is that the coats do not provide the flexibility to enable easy transitioning to provide the two functions, i.e. for use during pregnancy by the mother and for use by both mother, father, or other wearer and baby after the baby has been born.
There is therefore a need for a convertible maternity coat that separates the functions of a coat for the mother during pregnancy and a coat after birth for the mother or other wearer and baby. That is, there is a need for a convertible maternity coat that provides a removable panel designed just for use during pregnancy and another removable panel designed to enable both the new-born baby and the mother, father or other wearer to be covered comfortably. There is also a need for a coat that provides a panel designed for pregnancy that has no excess fabric at the top, so as to keep the wearer warmer and more comfortable.
There is also a need for a convertible maternity coat that enables the easy transition between various functions, e.g., for use by the mother during pregnancy and by both baby and mother, father, or other wearer after the baby is born.